Maya Hollister 
Hannah, a 41-year-old librarian in Madison, Wisconsin, walked into her psychiatrist’s office in February with a printout of a 2016 JAMA Psychiatry paper. She had read about the Charles Raison hyperthermia trial three times and wanted to know whether the local Finnish-style sauna at her gym counted as a reasonable substitute. Her depression had partially … Read more
Marcus had been drinking a fifth of vodka every night for six months when his wife in Boise issued the ultimatum. He expected a thirty-day rehab bill that would empty their savings. Instead, his primary care doctor sent him to a clinic on State Street that ran an outpatient detox program three blocks from his … Read more
When Weekly Therapy Is Not Enough You have been seeing a therapist for several months. The first few sessions felt productive. You appreciated having a neutral person to talk to. But somewhere along the way, the progress stalled. The anxiety still spikes without warning. The depression still makes getting out of bed a negotiation every … Read more
Priya, a 26-year-old graduate student in Boston, Massachusetts, had been bingeing and purging multiple times a day for almost five years. She had told one therapist about it, briefly, four years ago. Her boyfriend knew, more or less. Her family did not. The Saturday night that ended her secret began like most Saturday nights: a … Read more
Elena, a 36-year-old graphic designer in Minneapolis, had been in individual therapy for six years and felt like she was talking in circles. Her therapist suggested adding a Tuesday-evening interpersonal process group at a downtown clinic—seven members plus two co-leaders, weekly, indefinite duration. Elena resisted for three months. Talking about her marriage in front of … Read more
Renee, a 39-year-old in Albuquerque, hadn’t filed a tax return in four years. Her bipolar disorder had ended her project management career in 2022, and the thought of opening a 1040 sent her into shutdown spirals. In February of 2026, her older brother flew out for the weekend, made a pot of coffee, and walked … Read more
The Gap Between Wanting Help and Getting It You have done the hard part. You have admitted to yourself that the anxiety, the depression, or the constant exhaustion is not something you can simply think your way out of. You have accepted that professional support is not a luxury but a legitimate medical need. Then … Read more
Daniel, a 28-year-old line cook in Pittsburgh, lost his employer health insurance the day his restaurant closed for renovation. He’d been seeing a therapist twice a month for panic attacks that started during the pandemic, and the prospect of losing that work mid-treatment sent him into a fresh spiral. His therapist quoted $185 per session … Read more
When Daniel Hwang got out of his second residential rehab in Delray Beach, the discharge counselor handed him a brochure for a sober house ten minutes away. Daniel had bipolar I disorder. He had been stabilized on lithium and quetiapine for almost two years. The medications were the reason he had finally been able to … Read more
Father Luke, a Jesuit spiritual director in Saint Louis, Missouri, met with Elena once a month for two years before he gently suggested she also see a therapist. Elena, a 44-year-old hospital chaplain, had come to him originally for help discerning whether to pursue a doctorate in pastoral care. The discernment work was rich. Their … Read more